Jean Lafitte in the War of 1812 a Narrative Based on the Original Documents
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Jean Lafitte in the War of 1812 A Narrative Based on the Original Documents BY EDWARD ALEXANDER PARSONS UT of the secret archives of the British Admiralty comes the O first paper in the last episode of the final conflict between England and America. From almost the beginning of the War of 1812 the British thought of invading the Mississippi Valley. That meant the capture of New Orleans, a Latin city whose people, alien in race, faith and civilization, had been taken over by the Louisiana Purchase less than nine years before and had been admitted to statehood but seventy-one (or rather forty-nine) days before the United States declared war (June 18, 1812). On reflection it seemed a reasonably vulnerable door by which to enter the world's richest and potentially greatest valley. The British spy system was keen, accurate and logical. As the eighth month of war was accomplished (February 19, 1813) the "Observations relative to New Orleans," by Captain James Lucas Yeo (afterward Sir James) addressed to Viscount Melville, First Lord of the Admiralty, was on its way to London. Captain Yeo who has a most picturesque record of daring achievements, became Commander-in-chief of the English naval forces on the Great Lakes. He could have qualified as chief intelligence officer in any organization, nay as Inspector of Scotland Yard. Here is his report: The City of New Orleans is not Fortified, nor furnished with the means either for Hostile or Defensive operations. Almost the whole of their Troops (consisting of undisciplined Militia) have been sent to Mobile for the purpose of seizing on Pensacola and every other part of the Spanish Possessions in West Florida. 2o6 AMERICAN ANTIQUARIAN SOCIETY [Oct., It lies about eighty miles from the mouth of the Mississippi the Navigation of which is very safe after passing over the Bar, with only two small Forts to oppose you, at a place called English Turn. It is my opinion that a Frigate, lightened as much as possible, might pass the Bar with safety. There is no possibility of any information of your approach arriving at the City before you; The Banks of the River are composed of soft mud, and the Town, which is embanked to protect it from inundation, is consequently ill calculated for Bombardment; The American Naval Force at present, consists only of two Brigs, a Schooner, and ten or twelve Gun Boats. Their Land Force at Mobile is about five thousand militia. At New Orleans there is nothing but Faction and discontent and the American Party is by far the weakest. The Indians are implacably hostile to them, which, added to their internal discord, would operate much against them. New Orleans is full of shipping—It is their Depot for the chief Produce of the Interior parts of Louisiana and other Places, which are sent down the Ohio and Mississippi to New Orleans, to be from thence disposed of. It is not for me to presume to judge of its Political Expediency, but from the information I have been able to obtain and the little Local knowledge I have acquired, I am persuaded there is nothing that would cause more alarm and consternation than the bare apprehension of our Black Troops being employed against them; The Population of the slaves in the Southern Provinces of America is so great, that the People of Landed Property would be panic-struck at the sight of a Black Regiment on their Coast, and nothing would more effectually tend to make the War with this Country unpopular, than the knowledge of such a measure being in contemplation. The best Season for any active operations on that Coast is between the month of April and the middle of July, after which you are subject to hurricanes, and before that time to violent Freshet down the Mississippi. The retention of Pensacola to the Spaniards is of vast importance to us, not only in a Commercial point of view, but as an excellent Port for any small Blockading Squadron in that Quarter, there never being less than Eighteen feet water on the Bar. It affords an abundance of Provisions, as well as Spars long enough for any ship in the Navy. A Frigate may find Lower masts growing so near to the edge of the River, that, when cut down, they would fall into it. The Americans have a strong Party in Cuba, particularly at the Havanna and St. Jago, at the latter Place they find means of disposing of their Prizes, altho' the Governor forbade my sending any into the Havanna. The American Government sent a Person, a little before the War, to the Havanna in the Character of consul General, but the Governor refused receiving him under the Plea that no such character was ever admitted into the Spanish Colonies. He next attempted to secure an insideous footing in the country, with the al- ledged motive of arranging the Merchants' accounts, but this also was ' I94O-] JEAN LAFITTE IN THE WAR OF 1812 207 refused him. The Americans have sent down towards Mexico a great number of adventurers under the pretext of assisting the Insurgents. James Lucas Yeo,^ Captain 19th Feby 1813. In the active dossier of the Admiralty this alluring, tempting picture of easy conquest, rich booty, and spectacular victory germinated and constantly grew until it assumed the proportion of a magic scene of golden adventure and political opportunity. No wonder it provoked the Viking spirit of Cochrane, the Vice- Admiral. No wonder that to some of the advisers all other actions, including the audacious thrust of General Ross, who with a small force of 4000 dared to invade a nation of ten millions, destroy its Capitol and threaten the city of Baltimore, were considered as mere diversions for the greater event to come—the conquest of the valley of the Mississippi and the fabulous city that was its guardian. No wonder that my Lord Castlereagh, Britain's prime minister, according to the newspapers of the day, boasted in Paris salons, "I expect that at this time" (when the news of the Victory at Washington reached Europe) "that we are in possession of New Orleans, and have command of all the waters of the Mississippi." One man however could not be deceived. He saw the folly, the futility, the mistake of policy involved. "Plunder was its object," calmly wrote Lord Wellington, in a personal letter. "I knew and stated in July that the transports could not approach within leagues of the landing place . this evil design defeated its own end." But the British spy's fatal description possessed the mind of Sir Alexander Cochrane, who could not be persuaded from the scheme. He originated the expedition and was the father of the mighty armada which rendezvoused in the Greater Antilles at the western tip of Jamaica, November 24, 1814. There were at least thirty-one ships of 1220 guns and eleven transports, from the enormous Tonnant of eighty guns, captured at Nelson's Abukir, to the little schooner Pigmy of six guns. 'James Lucas Yeo, Observations Relative to New Orleans, original Ms. in Bibliotheca Parsoniana, New Orleans (La.-Am. MSS. No. 1008). 2o8 AMERICAN ANTIQUARIAN SOCIETY [Oct., With it was the elite of the British navy: "Cochrane, Malcolm, Trowbridge, Gordon, Codrington, and Thomas Hardy in whose arms Nelson died at Trafalgar." The transports, with very secret orders from Lord Bathurst, car- ried the so-called army of the Chesapeake, over 3000; and the men brought by Keane numbered nearly 4500. Some 7500 seasoned veterans of the Peninsular war, trained men of Scotch, Irish, and English regiments of world renown, were officered by such men as Packenham, Keane, Gibbs, Lambert, and Thornton. The marines and sailors added at least 1500 fighting men. This formidable array of ships and men, the English Armada, sailed for the Gulf coast of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. It met the pro- verbial storm or hurricane on December 9th, and later the greater storm of the unique resistance to their invasion by the Creole, French, Spanish, Italian, American, and Anglo-American people of the United States. Many colorful scenes were to be enacted ere the great denoue- ment of the drama on the field of Chalmette—the Battle of New Orleans. The vanguard of the coming invasion was the arrival of the brig Orpheus, in the bay of Apalachicola, in the summer 1814. The Creek Indians were enlisted in the British cause and plans laid against Fort Bowyer at Mobile. But the real forerunner of the great invasion was the sloops of war carrying the troops of Edward NicoUs, an intrepid Irish soldier noted for his courage and brutality. He stopped at Havana, August 4, 1814, where he endeavored to obtain the cooperation of the Spanish Captain General. He failed; yet, un- discouraged, sailed for Pensacola, which he forcibly made his headquarters. He had heard of the smuggler, buccaneer, or gentleman pirate Jean Lafitte and his men at Barataria. He must have considered them privateers. Now there are two lands, Egypt and Louisiana, that the mariner approaches impercipiently, the navigator alone perceiv- ing the sea-waste composed of the black loam and golden soil brought down by the Nile and the Mississippi. I94O-] JEAN LAFITTE IN THE WAR OF 1812 209 Westward of the Mississippi, almost due south of New Orleans, there is a region of land and water, where marsh, slight elevations of terra firma, bays and lakes, small streams and bayous, in endless intricacy, contend for the mastery. Escaping from the Cretan labyrinth was a simple game in comparison with the successful threading of this tortuous maze.